294.The non-commissioned officers of a regiment and company, allowed by law in the various arms and regiments of the army, are as follows, viz.:—

INFANTRY AND ARTILLERY

(Old Army.)

295. Volunteer regiments of infantry differ from the above in having one commissary sergeant and one hospital steward, and no principal musicians, in the non-commissioned staff and four sergeants and eight corporals in each company.

296. INFANTRY

(New Army.)

Non Commissioned Staff

297. ARTILLERY.

Volunteer artillery differs from the above in having no principal musicians.

298. CAVALRY.

Regular and volunteer cavalry have the same.

299. ENGINEERS.

ORDNANCE.

300. The Ordnance Department has no regimental organization. The enlisted men are organized into companies at the various armories and arsenals, and the master workmen are now called sergeants. The armorers, carriage-makers, and blacksmiths are now called corporals; the artificers, privates of the first class; and the laborers, privates of the second class. The number of each is only limited by the wants of the Ordnance Department.

1. Cadet and Medical Cadet.

2. Sergeant Major.

3. Regimental Quartermaster, and Commissary Sergeants.

4. Ordnance Sergeants and Hospital Stewards.

5. First Sergeant.

6. Sergeants.

7. Corporals.

302. Non-commissioned officers are all appointed by the commanding officer of the regiment; those of the company, however, are appointed on the recommendation of the company commanders. All non-commissioned officers of a regiment can be reduced by sentence of a court-martial.

303. The non-commissioned officers of a company can be reduced by the commanding officer of the regiment on the recommendation of the company commander; but, without such a  recommendation, they must be tried by a court-martial, in order that they may be reduced.

304. Cadets, medical cadets, ordnance sergeants, and hospital stewards appointed by the Surgeon-General, cannot be reduced; although they may be discharged dishonorably.

305. Each non-commissioned officer receives a certificate or warrant of his rank, signed by the commanding officer of the regiment, and counter-signed by the adjutant. (Reg. 80.)

306. At depots for recruits, where there is no legal organization, temporary appointments are made, called Lance Sergeants and Lance Corporals, that by Regulations have the same authority as a duly authorized appointment, and they must be obeyed and respected accordingly. They do not, however, receive any increase of pay beyond that of a private; and, when the recruits reach their destination, the appointment ceases. The successful performance of this duty, however, as non-commissioned officer would lead to a consideration of their claim to promotion in case of a vacancy. (Reg. 971)

307. For the purpose of ascertaining the merits of candidates, and particularly to replace absent non-commissioned officers who have not vacated their appointments, the Lance appointments are frequently made in the companies. Such soldiers are virtually on probation, and their succession to the permanent appointments, when vacancies occur, necessarily depends on the manner in which they perform their duties under the acting appointment. Lance appointments wear the chevron of their rank, the same as legal appointments.

308. Non-commissioned officers are usually, for offenses, placed in arrest; and only in grave cases are they placed in the guard-house. (Reg. 78.) Commissioned officers only have authority to arrest non-commissioned officers.

309. Non-commissioned officers are entitled to implicit obedience from the soldiers, and they should be obeyed and respected by the men; and when a non-commissioned officer fails in obtaining this regard and obedience from the men, he falls in his most essential qualification.

310. The confidence of the soldiers in the integrity of a non-commissioned officer can only be obtained by his being rigidly just and impartial to those under him, and by keeping his temper on all occasions, and discharging his duty without passion or feeling. A non-commissioned officer who cannot control himself will find difficulty in controlling those over whom he is placed.

311. Confidence and energy are the progressive traits of the non-commissioned officer who would be successful. Let him first feel he is right, and acting in obedience to orders and instructions, and hen do his duty with decision and firmness; and success will be more certain, and failure much less discreditable.

312. Non-commissioned officers should provide themselves with a pencil and notebook in which to enter the names of men forming the details. Orders and instructions given to them verbally they should at once reduce to writing, and not trust to their memory. Lists of property placed in their charge temporarily should be entered; and, in fact, all items that it may possibly be necessary to recall should be put down in such a book.